Road torch



H. J. SAUER ROAD TORCH Feb. 19, 1935,

Filed July 15, 1954 INVENTOR gjENRY d. 55mm. 5

ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 19, I935 "PATENT OFFICE 1,991,173 ROAD TORCH Henry J. Sauer, Fail-field, Comm, assignor to The Kilborn-Sauer Company, corporation of Connecticut Application "July s, 1934, Serial No. 734,889 5 Claims. o1.:s7 ;-5s-) .roughly, and must be such as to insure .a large bright, and steady flame underall weather conditions. It is furthermore desirable that the wick may be conveniently adjusted and cleaned in order to keep the torch at its .highest' efficiency at all times. It is an object of the present invention to provide a torch which meets these requirements, and I'particula'rly propose to provide a burner construction in which the wick. is at all times bafiled in all directions against wind and rain, and which at the same time allows ade quate combustion air to enter, and which also provides relatively. large outlets for .the flame. It is further proposed to provide means by which the flame will be mushroomed so that it will be relatively wide and therefore provide a greater illumination and visibility, and also'to provide means for preventing the'trapping of gases in the upper portion of the burner. A further object is to providela burner in which all parts are permanently attached. .Another object is to provide a closure for the burner which may be used 'for snufiing out theflame, andalso to provide handle means for hanging upthe torch when not in use, and which is arranged to tightly retain the cover and burner against looseness.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

' Inthe drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing the torchaccordi'ng to the'exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, the cover'being shown in place.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, with parts broken away. 1

Fig. 3' is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. .1, the cover being removed. V

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the burner and the contiguous under side of the top of the fuel receptacle.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the burner, removed fromthereceptacle.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several figures of the drawing. 7 e

Referring to the drawing, the torch, according to my invention, comprises a fuel receptacleadapted to contain oil and consisting of a cup distance apart.

shaped base portion 10, flanged outwardly and downwardly atits' upper edge .11, and a dome shaped top portion 12 seated upon theflange. 1-1 and secured thereto by curling its edge about the flange 11, as at 13. The upper portion of the top 12 is flat and is provided with a circular opening having inwardly bent segmental cam flanges 14 and 15 .bent downwardly from its edge, the. ends of these flanges being spaced apart by cut-outs 16 and 17. The cam flanges 14 and 15 are of increasing height from one end to the other, the low end of one flange being adjacent the high end of the other, and are adapted to removably secure the burner element to the receptacle, as

"will hereinafter more fully appear.

The burnerelement comprises a lower shell .member consisting of a reduced diameter lower end portion l8having its lower end flanged inwardlyas .at 19, an outwardly stepped intermediate portion 20 of greater diameter than the lower portion 19,. and an outwardly stepped up- ,per-portion 21 ofgreater diameter than the in- A tubular wick holder 22 has its lower end secured totheflange 19 by means of a bead 23, formed upon the wick holder termediate portion 20.

near'its lower end and which engages the upper side of the flange l9, and by curling over the lower edge of the wick holder upon the under surface of the flange 19, asat 24. At diametrically opposed points the flange 19 is indented and the metal is pressed outwardly to provide a pair of lugs 25 and 26 adapted to cooperate with the cam flanges 14and 15 to retain the burner in place, as will presently more fully appear.

The burner further comprises a guard 27'having its lower portion outwardly oifset, as at 28,

.and secured to the upper portion 21 of the lower member of the'burner by curling over the lower edge of the portion 28, as at 29. The side wall of the guard is lanced along a pair of vertically spaced circumferential lines, the lancings being in the form of three slots or shearing cuts 30 of equal length having their ends spaced a short the side wall of the guard between these lancings is pressed inwardly to provide three V-shaped inwardly extending walls 31, the apices of the In the intermediate portion 20 of the lower member of the burner there arepreferablyprovided a series of small holes 35. While these normally admit a small amount of air their primary purpose is to provide an outlet for the accumu- The portions of the metal of minous flare.

serting the lower end portion 18 in the opening;

of the receptacle with thelugs 25 and 26 first engaged through the cut-outs l6 and 17. Thereupon the burner is turned to bring the lugs into wedging engagement with the cam surfaces of the flange 14 and 15 and thereby tightly secure the burner in place. A washer 36 of fibre or other suitable material is preferably interposed between the stepped portion 20 and the upper flat surface of the receptacle.

A cap 37 is adapted to be engaged over the burner when it is not in use, and may be em ployed for the purpose of snufiing out the flame. A wire handle 38 is hingedly secured at its lower ends to the top 12 of the receptacle by means of brackets 39 and 40, and at its upper portion is provided with a loop 41, so that the torch may be easily carried thereby, or the loop "may be employed for hanging it upon a suitable support.

"I'he wire handle is slightly springy and its upper portion is adapted to tightly engage the upper surface of the cap 3'? to secure it in place, and for this purpose'the cap is providedat each side of its top with pairs of pressed out bosses e2 between which the handle is seated, being swung into and out of place by being forced over these bosses.

The operation is as followsz- I In preparing the torch for use the wick is forced up into the tubular wick holder-22 against the inwardly projected edge portions of the wall portions 31, these edge portions thereby limiting the projection of the wick. After the wick has become burned or charred it may be trimmed and cleaned at its projecting end by turning it so that the edges of the wall portions 31' scrape off the burned or charred portion of the wick. In this way the wick may be conveniently cleaned and kept in efiicient working order at all times.

When lighted the flame will mushroomat the top and emerge over the upper edges of the wall portions 31 thereby producing a very wide lu- A portion of the flame will also pass beneath the lower edges of the walls 3 1. I At the same time some portion of the flame will pass through the slot 33 and as this portion will be relatively wide and thin'it will provide a greater illumination in the direction facing the wide dimension of this flame. In this way the brilliance of the flare is'directionally increased; and at the same time the slot provides an outletfor gasses which might otherwise accumulate in the top portion of the guard. Combustion air will enter beneath the lower edges of the wall portions 31,

being baiiled as it enters through striking the surfaces of these wall portions, so that in the case of a high wind the force of the air will be reduced before it comesinto contact with the flame. The wick holder 22, it will be noted, is permanently secured to the lower portion of the burner, and through this lower portion-to the guard, and is thus heated through conduction, so

that the upper end of the wick is heated and-the oil carried thereby maintained at its proper flash point.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A burner for a road torch or the like, adapted: to be secured to "a fuel receptacle, comprising a tubular wickholder, a guard surrounding said wick holder having a side wall and atop wall, said side wall having inwardly pressed portions, the upper and lower edges of which are severed from said sidewall andwhereby passages between the interior and exterior of said guard are provided about the upper and lower edges of said inwardly pressed portions.

2. A burner for a road torch or the like,adapted to be secured to a fuel receptacle, comprising atubular wick holder, a' guard surrounding said wick holder having aside wall and a top wall, said side wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly pressed portions, the.

upper and lower edges of which are severed from said side wall: and whereby. passages between the interior and exterior of saidguard are proivided about the upper and lower edges of said .inwardly pressed portions.

3. A burner for a road torch or the like, adapted to be secured'to afuel receptacle, comprising a tubular wick holder, a guard surrounding said wick holder having a side wall and a circumferentially' spaced inwardly pressed portions,'the upper and lower edges of which are severed from said side wall and whereby passages between the interior and exterior of said top wall, said ,side wall having a pluralityof guard are provided about the upper and lower edges of 'said inwardly pressed portions, said inlwardly pressed portions projecting inwardly beyond the inner periphery of said wick holder.

4. A burner for a road torch or the like, adapted to be secured to a fuel receptacle, ,comprising'a tubular wick holder, a guard surrounding said wick holder having a side wall and a top wall, said sidewall having a plurality of jcircun ferentially spaced inwardly pressed portions, the upper and loweredges of which are 'yond the inner periphery of said wick holder, and the upper end of said wick holder being spaced below said inwardly pressedportions'.

5. A burner for a road torch or the like, adapted to be secured to a fuel receptacle, comprising.

a tubular wick holder, a guard surrounding said wick holder having a cylindrical side wall and a top wall, said side wall having a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly pressed portions,

the upper and lower edges of'which are severed y from said side wall and whereby passages beprovided about the upper and lower edges of said inwardly pressed portions, said top wall having a slot therein;v '5

tween the interior and exterior of said guard are 

